Planet Mercury may have Retained a Retrograde Satellite

Authors

  • J. J. Rawal P.C. Vaidya Astronomical, Astrophysical and Space Science Research Institute The Indian Planetary Society B-201, Vishnu Apartment, Lokmanya Tilak Road, Borivali(West), Mumbai-400092(India) and Saurashtra Education Foundation Nehru Udhyan, Race Course, Rajkot-360001(India)
  • Modha Keyur P.C. Vaidya Astronomical, Astrophysical and Space Science Research Institute The Indian Planetary Society B-201, Vishnu Apartment, Lokmanya Tilak Road, Borivali(West), Mumbai-400092(India) and Saurashtra Education Foundation Nehru Udhyan, Race Course, Rajkot-360001(India)

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14738/aivp.1304.18765

Keywords:

Mercury, its satellites

Abstract

The limiting direct and retrograde orbits around the planet Mercury have been cal- culated. Synthesizing these concepts with the concepts of Roche limit, synchronous orbit around the planet and the tidal drags acting within it, it is shown here that the planet Mercury might have been able to retain a retrograde satellite. Observers are therefore requested to discover it through infrared telescope of wavelength of a few microns.

References

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Innanen, K. A., 1979, Astron J., 84,960

Brecher, K., Brecher, A., Morrison, P., and Wasserman, I., 1979, Nature 282, 50

Rawal, J. J., 1981, The Moon and Planets, 24, 407

Roman, C. A., 1980, J. Brit. Astron. Arsoc., 90, 438

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Published

2025-08-26

How to Cite

Rawal, J. J., & Keyur, M. (2025). Planet Mercury may have Retained a Retrograde Satellite. European Journal of Applied Sciences, 13(04), 303–307. https://doi.org/10.14738/aivp.1304.18765

Issue

Vol. 13 No. 04 (2025): European Journal of Applied Sciences

Section

Articles

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Copyright (c) 2025 Rawal, J. J., Modha Keyur

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.